Apparatus for the control of highway crossing signals



Jan. 9, 1940. H. s. YQLJNG 2,186,794

APPARATUS FOR THE CONTROL OF HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGNALS Filed Nov. 15, 1938 S 6 E q =5 {K2 2 18 10 1P X [a m A? 44 2 7 14 T "J TOR M nly iizzy.

H15 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 9, 1940 I I v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE j APPARATUS FOR THE CONTROL, OF

HIGHWAY CROSSING SIGNALS H Henry S. Young Wilkinsburg, Pa., assigncr to Y The Union Switch-8a Signal Company, Swissvale, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application November 15, 1938, Serial No. 240,521

Claims. (01. 246130) My invention relates to apparatus for the con- TR, and wire I I, then through wire 5 and rail Ia trol of highway crossing signals, and has for an to the other terminal of battery 3. Section F G object the provision of novel and improved means is provided with a track circuit which may be for governing the operation of a highway crosstraced from one terminal of track battery 3 of ing signal until a train completely passes the section F-G, through rail I, wire [2, the winding 5 intersection. W2 of relay XR, then through two branch paths Another feature of my invention is the pro to wire l3, one path of which comprises wire It, vision of novel and improved means whereby an front fiagman contact l5 of winding W2, and accidental shunting of the track rails at a highwire 15, the other path of which comprises wire 1}). way intersection will not effect the establishment ll, front contact it of relay TR, and wire i9,

of directional control of the highway crossing then through wire 13 and rail la to the other 5 signal. terminal of battery 3.

Other objects and advantages of my invention Theflinterlocking relay XR, previously referred p will appear as the specification progresses. to, may be of any suitable type, such as, for

5, I shall describe one form'of apparatus embodye example, the relay covered by United States Let- 1}? ing my invention, and shall then point out the ters Patent No. 1,799,629, granted to W. K. Look novel features thereof in claims. hart and T.' J. OMeara on April 7, 193 1. This The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic type of relay is well-known and is characterized view of a preferred form of apparatus embodyby the fact that when the left-hand winding WI 2 ing my invention. is deenergizedthe downward movement of the 29 Referring to the drawing, the reference chararmature associated therewith operates a meacters i and la. designate the track rails of a chanical locking device which keeps the armature stretch of railway track over which traffic moves associated with the right-hand winding W2 in either direction, and which is intersected at locked up in approximately its mid'position,

2 grade by a highway H. Located adjacent the so that the subsequent deenergization ofwinding intersection is a highway crossing signal S, which W2 while winding WI is still deenergized cannot may be of any suitable type, but which, as here close back contact 2|. Similarly, if the rightshown, is an audible signal in the form of an hand winding W2 is first to become deenergized, electric bell. v y then back contact 20 is prevented from closing 30 The track rails l and la are divided by means when the left-hand winding W! becomes deener- 30 of the usual insulated rail joints 2 into relatively gized' during the interval that winding W2 is still 5? long sections D-E and F-G separated from each deenergized. Relay XR is also provided with other by a relatively short section E-F. Sec frontfcontacts l and I5 associated with windings tiOnS E and F- W a y b 0 s W I and W2, respectively, which have what I length suitable to provide an adequate warning 1 ,11 t fl 'man adjustments. That is'to 35 period to highway users of approach Of a say, each flagman contact remains closed when train to the intersection. Section E-F' will its agsbciated m ture is in its locked u usually be of such length as to completely inp iti clude the intersection. Signal S is provided with a first operating 40 Section E-F is provided with a track circuit circuit passing from terminal. B of a suitable 40 comprising a suitable source of current, suchas source, of current, such as a battery not shown, track battery 3, connected across the track rails through back contact 2!: of winding wt or back at one endof the section, and a track relay descontact 26 of winding W2, and the operating ignated by the reference character TR, connected winding of signal s to terminal 0, si nal s is, s

across the track rails at the other end. Section provided with a second operating circuit passing 5 D is p v with a track uit which ay from'terminal B through back contact 22 of re be traced from one terminal of track battery 3 lay 'IRand the winding of signal S to terminal 0.

Of section D.E, Which is nnected across the When no trains areoccupying the control seetrack rails at one end of the section, through tigh l -E, the ppara s is h 50, ra W the Winding W! Of a inter ock its normal condition. In the normal condition of 5 relay XR to be referred to later, then through th apparatus, as shown i th drawing, t g two branch paths to wire 5, one branch path of relay TB is energized and windings W! and W2 which comprises wire 8, front fiagman contact of relay KR are energized. Signal S is deener- *1 of winding wt, and wire- 8, the other path of gi'zed, y which includes wire 9, front contact lil of relay In explaining the operationof the apparatus 55 embodying my invention, I shall assume that an eastbound train, that is, a train operating from left to right in the drawing, enters track section DE so that winding WI releases. When this happens, front contact I of winding WI opens and back contact 2!) of winding W2 closes, the closing of this latter contact completingthe first circuit for signal S whereby signal S displays its warning exhibit to highway users. When the train enters section E-F, relay TR is shunted, and releases to close back contact 22 and to open front contacts I and I8. The closing of back contact 22 completes the second energizing circuit for signal S, while the opening of front contact I0 opens the second branch path in the track circuit for section DE. The opening of front contact I8 of relay TR opens the second branch path in the track circuit for section FG, but winding W2 is retained energized over its first branch path. Since both the first and second branch paths for the track circuit for section DE are now open, winding WI remains released when the train vacates section DE, until such time as relay TR picks up when the train vacates section E-F. The eastbound train, however, will enter section F-G before it vacates section E-F, so that winding W2 of relay XR is shunted and releases to its locked up position prior to relay TR picking up and completing the track circuit for section DE.

When the train vacates section E-F, relay TR picks up to open back contact 22 and to close front contacts I8 and I8. The closing of front contact I0 completes the track circuit for section DE'with the result that winding WI picks up to close front contact 1 and to open back contact 20, thereby opening the energizing circuit for signal S. The closing of front contact I8 of relay TR completes the second branch path of the circuit for section FG with the result that when the train vacates section FG, winding W2 will pick up to restore the apparatus to its normal condition.

The operation of the apparatus for a westbound train is substantially similar to the operation just described for an eastbound train as will be readily apparent from an inspection of the drawing, and further detailed description is deemed unnecessary.

From the foregoing description of the operation of the apparatus, it is readily apparent that track relay TR provided for the track circuit at the intersection, when released, is effective to prevent the picking up of winding WI or W2 of relay XR, but is ineffective to release winding WI or W2. It is readily apparent, therefore, that when one winding of the interlocking relay is released to its full down position to complete the operating circuit for signal S, the track relay TR will prevent that winding from picking up until such time as the interlocking feature of relay XR establishes directional control over the other winding of the relay. That is to say, if winding WI is released to its full down position by an eastbound train, the presence of the train on section EF and the resultant releasing of relay TR prevents winding WI from picking up until after the train enters section FG, so that Winding W2 is released to its locked up position prior to winding WI picking up.

It should be noted that the first branch path for each track circuit for the track sections DE and F--G includes a front flagman contact of its associated winding of the relay XR, whereby the associated winding of the interlocking relay is provided with a stick circuit. It follows that if relay TR is accidentally released due to an accidental shunting of the track rails at the intersection and the track rails of sections DE and F-G are not shunted, the windings WI and W2 will remain energized over their respective stick circuits to prevent an establishment of the directional control of signal S. Furthermore, if it is desired to dispense with back contact 22 of relay TR and thus provide only a single operating circuit for signal S which circuit would include back contact 20 or back contact H of winding WI or W2, respectively, it is then apparent that an accidental release of relay TR will not affect the operation of signal S.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of apparatus embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In combination, a stretch of railway track divided into a first section and a third section separated from each other by a second section intersected by a highway, a highway crossing signal located at such intersection, a track relay, 2. track circuit for said second section including the winding of said track relay, an interlocking relay having a first winding and a second winding, a track circuit for said first section including the first winding of said interlocking relay and a front contact of said track relay, a track circuit for said third section including the second winding of said interlocking relay and a front contact of said track relay, means governed by afront contact of each of said windings of said interlocking relay for at times providing a shunt path around the front contact of said track relay included in its associated track circuit, whereby said track relay is removed from control of the track circuit of the associated section, and means governed by each of said windings of said interlocking relay for operating said signal.

2. In combination, a stretch of railway track divided into a first section and a third section separated from each other by a second section intersected by a highway, a highway crossing signal located at such intersection, a track relay, a track circuit for said second section including the winding of said track relay, an interlocking relay having a first winding and a second winding, a track circuit for said first section including saidfirst winding of said interlocking relay and a front contact of said track relay, a stick circuit for said first winding of said interlocking relay including a front contact thereof arranged to remove said front contact of said track relay from control of said track circuit for said first section, a track circuit for said third section including said second winding of said interlocking relay and a front contact of said track relay, 2. stick circuit for said second winding of said interlocking relay including a front contact thereof arranged to remove said second mentioned front contact of said track relay from control of said track circuit for said third section, and means governed by each of said windings of said interlocking relay for operating said signal.

3. In combination, a stretch of railway track divided into two outer sections and an intermediate section, said intermediate section being relay for modifying the control established by intersected by a highway and provided with a highway crossing signal located at such inter: section, a track relay responsive to trafiic conditions in said intermediate section, an interlocking relay having two windings, means for connecting each of said windings of the interlocking relay in a track circuit fora diiferent one of saidtwo outer sections, said means including two alternate paths one of which is a pickup path controlled by said track relay and the other of which is a stick path controlled by the associated winding, and means controlled by each of said windings of the interlocking relay for operating said signal.

4. In combination, a stretch of railway track divided into two outer sections and an intermediate section, said intermediate section being intersected by a highway and provided with a highway crossing signal located at such intersection, a track relay responsive to traffic conditions in said intermediate section, an interlocking relay having two windings one for each of said two outer sections, circuit means for connecting each of said two windings of the interlocking relay in a track circuit for the associated outer section whereby said two windings of the interlocking relay are caused to be responsive to traiflc conditions in the associated outer section, means controlled by said track traffic conditions in said two outer sectionsupon said two windings of the interlocking relay whereby said windings are caused to be released only in response to a certain trafiic condition in the associated'outer section and are caused'to become picked up under other. traflic conditions relay is picked up, and means controlled by each of said windings of the interlocking relay ings controlled by traflic conditions in the associated outer section and completed Over a fiag man contact of the associated winding, a pickup circuit for each of said two windings controlled jointly by traffic conditions inthe associated outer section and by'said track relay, and means controlled by each of said, two windings for operating said signal. Y

HENRY s. YOUNG.

in the associated outer section only if said track 

